The Bold Ones: The Senator (also known as The Senator) is an American political television drama series that aired on NBC from 1970 through 1971, lasting for nine episodes (including one pilot movie). The series stars Hal Holbrook as Senator Hays Stowe.

As a group of dramas, The Bold Ones was nominated for nine Emmy Awards and won five awards.[1] It was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama TV Show.[2] In 1971, Holbrook won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series for his role in the series.[3]

The series was based on an earlier television movie, A Clear and Present Danger.

Season One (1970-71)

Despite a threat on his life, Senator Stowe accepts an invitation from Garbury College to speak about the practical uses of political dissent.

2

"The Day the Lion Died"

Daryl Duke

Leon Tokatyan

October 4, 1970 (1970-10-04)

Junior Senator Stowe is dealt a severe rebuke from the powerful Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Homer Wydell when he tries to investigate a controversial and secretive military contract. When the elder senator begins exhibiting symptoms of dementia, Stowe has to make a tough choice about whether or not to risk ruining his own career by publicly questioning Wydell's competency before he leaves to chair a high-stakes international arms conference.

When Stowe throws his support behind a reform candidate as party nominee for a special election, he suddenly finds himself short of votes to secure passage of his signature education subsidy legislation. He risks alienating his grassroots supporters by considering a deal offered by State Party Chairman Mallon, who is desperate to nominate a wealthy but unqualified candidate.

Senator Stowe chairs a commission that is investigating the shooting deaths of two college students by National Guard troops during an anti-war protest at a university. His task is complicated by the fact that the students, the administrators and the National Guardsmen all give different versions of what happened. To be continued...

5

"A Continual Roar of Musketry: Part 2"

Robert Day

David W. Rintels

November 29, 1970 (1970-11-29)

As key event participants give testimony, Senator Stowe tries to reconcile differences in conflicting testimony, such as the existence of student snipers and whether or not an order was given to arm weapons, to determine if the National Guard's response was appropriate and to what extent the protestors were responsible.

As part of an effort to bring a new power plant to his state, Senator Stowe's aide Jordan Boyle makes a major error in judgment by drafting and signing an introduction letter to a businessman who was later revealed to be a high-ranking member of the mob.

7

"George Washington Told a Lie"

Daryl Duke

Teleplay by: Joel OlianskyStory by: Bontche Schweig

February 7, 1971 (1971-02-07)

Senator Stowe proudly announces final approval for the construction of a long awaited hydroelectric dam in his home state. However, protesters bring to his attention a previously overlooked detail that the project will forcefully displace a tribe of 76 Native Americans from their reservation because of a technicality in their treaty, which was written in 1792 by George Washington.

8

"A Single Blow of a Sword"

John M. Badham

Jerrold Freedman

February 28, 1971 (1971-02-28)

An opponent of the welfare system who works for the Office of Enforcement Operations attempts to derail Senator Stowe's Inner City Self Help Act legislation by publishing a report containing evidence of misappropriation of funds by an administrator Stowe personally selected for a similar anti-poverty agency.